Lusarus felt his heart pound faster, the cold grip of panic clawing at him as he realized how outmatched he truly was. How did it come to this? He could feel the walls of the room closing in, and for the first time, he wondered just when things had slipped so utterly beyond his control.
It had begun subtly, like whispers in the wind. First, small towns along the kingdom's borders had fallen silent. Then came the larger villages, their trade routes rerouted, their allegiances shifted. And now, as he looked into the eyes of his former allies, he saw only loyalty to Lirael—a loyalty he had lost somewhere along the way, crushed beneath his arrogance.
"Princess Lirael," Lusarus tried again, his tone a blend of anger and pleading, "you don't understand what you're doing. This kingdom cannot survive without its traditions, without its roots. This rebellion will destroy us all!"
